The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-04-28
STAGE GOSSIP.
THE wIND-UP OF THE REGULAR
SEASON IN NEW YORK.


THE wIND-UP OF THE REGULAR
SEASON IN NEW YORK.
The Lucky Hit Made BY the Ranlins-Out |
Of the valley Of Hardscrabble Into the |
tJpisnds Of Prosperity-Theatrica1 Pros |
pects for Summer wallack's New Move. |
NEW York, April 22.-The dramatic
surprise has been the hit Of "The Golden
Giant" al the Fifth-avenue Theatre.
Nobody had expected 1t. Mckee Rankin
and his wife, who play the star roles, are
quite as much astonished as anybody
else, l dare say, because when they
made the same piece known in San Fran
cisco about year ago the critics ap-
plauded it but feebly, and the public
patronized it only week. Its New
York success came about quickly and
oddly. Stetson, of the Fifth-avenue,
had made up his mind to get rid of the
D'Oyly Carte "Ruddygore" Company in
a hurry; indeed, he closed their engage
ment so suddenly that his haste we'll
nigh recoiled upon himself, for one day
he awoke to the startling conclusion that
unless he forthwith and in short order
arranged for an attraction to succeed the
singers his house would have to shut its
doors for time. think he ran across
Charles Frohman just at this critical
period. Frohman is one of the trio of
Frohman Brothers, all of whom are
shrewd theatrical men and at least one
of whom-Daniel-is possessed of con-
siderable ability. Charles Frohman is
a very active partner of w. w.
Randall in the dramatic booking
firm of Frohman & Randall. It 80 hap
pened that Rankin had been booked by
them for number of Eastern theatres
not gilt-edged houses, by the way, for
Rankin had been in poor. luck, and, hav-
ing even made brief transit of the big
museums in the West, smart Eastern
managers were fighting shy of him.
Stetson, however, was urged by Froh-
man to give Rankin the open time at the
Fifth-avenue, and, without knowing any
thing of the play-probably relying
wholly upon his personal liking for
the actors-the Fifth-avenue's manager
agreed to let 1.-THE Golden Giant" occupy
his house. But before the opening night
arrived he weakened to the extent of
limiting the engagement to two weeks,
fearing failure; and he was this time
far-sighted enough to engage Mrs. Lang
try to follow, in "Lady Clancarty."
Well, "The Golden Giant" came, and
was seen and conquered. I saw splen-
did audience at the first night; profes-
sional friends of the Rankins were there
in almost equal number with their public
admirers; and from both plaudits came
in no niggard measure. When say the
play was early and easily recognized as a
tumble of half a-dozen dramas of 40
days, and add that only three characters
in 1t were sketched with any approach to
clearness, you will begin to appreciate
the significance of the Rankins' hit; and
In that hit Mrs. Rankin shared first and
foremost.
Looking at Mrs. Rankin as she recited
the thrilling description of Bessie's fish
ing, marveled that she had so success
fully retained her early sprightliness.
As nearly as / can fix 1t, she came into
the world about 1847, and she must
have been a mere child when, as Kittie
Blanchard, she started on her stage
career by dancing In the ballet at q Phila-
delphia concert saloon. Nor was it until
late in '83 that she began to give prom
ise of the artistic excellency that has
since made her one of our most popular
soubrettes. In December of that year the
chance came to her to play chambermaid
roles at Woods Theatre, Louisville, KY,
and she improved 1t wonderfully we'll.
T,,ok oiw aI,a ~,so 4
Rankin, who, the son of an old show
into the ranks of good actors, under the
s0m dc theatre of George Henley. The
Rankins have been in harmony ever
since, and their stage world has profited
by their domestic felicity. We are all
glad In this city that, after their misfor-
tunes of the past three years, they have
come back to the metropolis to get a
warm welcome and q substantial recogni-
tion.
Strange, isn't 1t, that when they left
here, in 1884, they went away virtually
bankrupted by the failure of their Third
avenue Theatre enterprise9 Now that
Rankin has seemingly regained his old
grip, I am told by his manager that he
means not to let go. He will try his
"Allan Dare" by and by at the Four
teenth-street, and in the early fall his
spectacular macbeth" will be acted al
Niblo's, with the music written especially
for 1t by 'Frisco's rising musical genius
Edgar 8. Kelly. When Rankin put or
Macbeth" in San Francisco during his
managerial experiment there, last year
he succeeded In running 1t twenty-five
nights, splendid record, and one not sur
passed In this country, when Forests
Park Theatre twenty-night revival, In
1843, hitherto bore the palm. Altogether
it looks like sunshine for the Rankinf
from now out.
| Our dramatic season is closing quietly
Ned Harrigan has just revived "Corde'
LAS Aspirations" with Dan COllyer IN
Tony Hart's old role Of "Rebecca," and
1t will easily wind-up the season at this
house, April 80. DAILY has concluded to
keep "The Tanning of the Shrew" on to
the end of his New York season, and
Wallack's and the Madison-square will
also close the same time. Wallack has
been obliged to resort to his list of old
comedies to help him out, for the bottom
| fell out of the business of 1.-THE Domi
MES Daughter" and there was nothing
else to do. As I mail you this letter
hear rum0r on the Rialt0 to the efect
that II. e. Abbey has made overtures tC
take an interest In Wallack's, and thai
Moss and 1.-THE Guv'nor'' are earnestly
considering the big managers proposal
OF course, everybody in the city comedies
that fresh energy and little pluck, sucl
as Abbey has, are exactly what Wal
lack needs.